How to Make Strong Coffee?

Wondering how to make stronger coffee at home without having to visit any coffee house? If you are a strong coffee lover, here is a treat made special for you. Have you tried to prepare a powerful cup of morning coffee at home without any success? This article will offer you tips on the best way to make stronger coffee at home.

What does the term strong coffee mean to you? Is it the high caffeine content or the amount of flavor in it? The answer is important to determine the method you will use to produce stronger coffee. Let’s now delve into the process of making strong coffee at your home.

 

Factors to Put into Consideration for Strong Coffee

1. Choice of Beans

Under the choice of beans, you’ll need to consider the type of beans and the freshness of the beans. Let’s begin with the type of beans. There are two main types of coffee beans which are the Robusta beans and Arabica beans. Robusta variety is highly concentrated with caffeine and has a bitter taste compared to Arabica. Arabica, on the other hand, is the most expensive coffee bean, highly flavored and less bitter.

If the strength of your coffee is determined by the caffeine concentration, then Robusta is the way to go. If you choose the strength of coffee depending on the flavor, Arabica will give you a better punch of rich flavors. Due to the bitter taste in Robusta, you can choose to mix both coffees to cater for flavor and caffeine at the same time.

Let’s now talk about the freshness of beans. Here, there is no need for any bargain. Fresh beans make the best coffee and will determine the flavor in your cup of coffee. Thus, when visiting your local coffee shop or grocery store to buy coffee beans, choose fresh beans packed in an airtight bag or container. Also, choose from the best brands.

 

2. Roast Level

The roast level of the beans helps determine the flavor of your coffee. For strong coffee and flavor, dark roasted beans will do the trick. For coffee lovers who prefer more caffeine, light roast beans are the best option.

You can also choose to roast your green beans for the desired roast level with an air popper. It is advantageous when you roast coffee beans with a home roaster since you’ll ensure they are fresh and you get the roast that you need. Examples of dark roasts are espresso, French roast, and Columbian among many others.

 

3. Brewing Method

There are many brewing methods and recipes you can use to make a strong cup of coffee. Examples include espresso maker, French press, aeropress, cold brew coffee, drip method, drip system, Vienna coffee, Colombian coffee blend, cezve Turkish coffee, moka coffee pot, instant coffee, and pour-over method among others. The best way to make coffee strong is by using espresso coffee makers. Another brew method you can experiment with for a quick caffeine kick is the chemex.

 

4. Grind Size

The grind size is determined by the brewing method being used. All you have to ensure is you grind enough for your use for freshness purposes.

When grinding beans with a coffee grinder such as a burr grinder, ensure the beans are of the same consistency in terms of size and shape.

For an espresso maker, use fine grind coffee beans. For the French press, the coffee grind size should be medium (similar to beach sand), and for the drip coffee maker, the size should be a coarse grind due to its larger surface area.

 

5. Coffee to Water Ratio

To make strong coffee, increases the coffee to water ratio. The estimated ratio is 1 part coffee to 18 parts water. In case this does not work for you, consider increasing the coffee grounds until you find your strong coffee. Increasing the coffee alters the ratios, thereby making the coffee stronger.

With experimentation, you will surely get the best measurement for a strong brew. You can also try different recipes from social media outlets such as Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or Youtube.

You have chosen the right beans, the right roast, the right brewing method, and grind. How do you make your strong coffee? Continue reading.

 

6. Water Temperature

Brewing coffee using hot water will help you extract flavors fast. Most coffee recipes use a water temperature of between 195F-205F to brew coffee. Any temperature above 205F will make the coffee lose its flavor notes due to over-extraction. Also, a lower temperature will cause under extraction. You may use a thermometer for the best results, especially when using a manual brewer.

 

7. Length of Time

The brewing length of time is determined by the coffee brewing method that you are using. For some methods, lengthening leads to strong coffee while to other methods lengthening of the time will lead to bitter coffee. This article discusses some brewing methods and the length of time to use.

 

8. Water Quality

The quality of water is key to fresh coffee. Use fresh filtered water if you can.

 

Examples of Strong Coffee Drinks

Here are some examples of strong coffees that are all made from espresso.

1. Espresso- It is full-flavored coffee and served in shots. It has some of the highest caffeine levels. Death Wish Coffee, for instance, makes strong espresso coffee.
2. Latte- It contains two-third of espresso and is added a third of steamed milk that forms foam or crema.
3. Americano- It contains a third of espresso that is diluted in two-third hot water.
4. Cappuccino- It is a type of latte. It can be made using a third of espresso, a third of milk, a third of milk foam and can have cinnamon or cocoa powder sprinkled on top.
5. Macchiato- It contains two shots of espresso and has foam on top.
6. Mocha- It contains two-fifth of chocolate espresso and has a fifth of steamed milk and foam.

 

Steps to Making Strong Coffee

1. Espresso Stove Top

Many people have mistaken espresso to be bitter and caffeine concentrated. Well-made espresso is sweet, creamy, and with a pleasant bitterness. Here is how to make strong coffee using an espresso Moka pot.

• Preheat your water by warming it.
• Add finely grounded Arabica dark roasted coffee to the pot.
• Add your warm water to the pot.
• Put the stove on medium heat.
• Slight hissing means that steam is being forced up.
• Wait for the coffee to brew and serve it.
• Add more coffee if the brew is not strong enough for you.

 

2. French Press

• Boil 8 cups of water for a minute. Temperature is important in the process.
• Preheat your French press for 30 seconds by adding hot water to keep it warm throughout the brewing process.
• Pour out the water.
• Add 2 tablespoon scoops of medium coarsely ground coffee to the carafe.
• Add 8 ounces of cooled water to the carafe and stir with a wooden spoon.
• Close the French press lid and wait for four minutes for the coffee to brew completely.
• Once the four minutes are over, and the coffee is ready to drink. Press the plunger to apply pressure and filter the brew. Filtered grounds will settle at the bottom. You can now serve the brew.
• Add more coffee grounds if the coffee is not strong enough.
• Remove any coffee remaining in the French press to avoid bitterness.

 

3. Drip Coffee Maker

• Choose coffee beans depending on your type of roast preference. For strong coffee, choose dark roasted Arabica coffee that is coarsely ground.
• Add 12 ounces of fresh filtered water to the reservoir.
• Add 2 tablespoons of coffee to the filter and close the machine rid.
• Turn the coffee machine on and wait for five minutes for maximum flavor extraction.
• Serve a strong cup of coffee.
• Add more coffee if the coffee is not strong enough for you.
• 200F is the perfect temperature for a drip coffee maker.

Drip coffee contains more caffeine because it takes a longer time for it to brew compared to other brewing methods.

 

4. Pour Over

• Add coarsely 2 tablespoons of ground Arabica coffee to a filter. Choose from a top brand for the best results.
• Add 8 ounce of hot water to the filter in a circular motion to cover the ground coffee.
• Allow the coffee to drip to the carafe.
• After it has completely dripped, remove the filter.
• Serve the coffee.
• If not strong enough, add another scoop of coffee. If it becomes extremely bitter, add a pinch of salt to reduce the bitterness.

 

5. Without particular Brewing equipment

• Boil hot water.
• Add two tablespoons of dark roasted ground Arabica coffee to a coffee mug.
• Add 8 ounces of water to the mug.
• Leave the coffee for four minutes.
• Use a strainer or colander to sieve the brew and transfer it into another mug.
• Serve your coffee to your preference.

The best way to enjoy your strong coffee is by buying an expresso machine but before then, try any of the above methods and you can still enjoy a strong cup of coffee. Using an espresso machine is fast as it only takes 20 to 30 seconds and you have your strong cup of joe ready.

 

Conclusion 

With this guide in mind, we hope you have learnt how to make coffee taste stronger. Thus, the next time you want a strong tasting cup of coffee, you won’t have any reason to buy barista-brewed Starbucks coffee or visit your local cafe. Also, it is simple to make strong coffee as you do not need to add cream or other toppings.